Family reunions come in all forms and sizes. One thing they share is that they all require advance planning. In fact, some families need to plan one to two years ahead, depending on the size of the clan and distances people need to travel. The more organized you are, the more smoothly things will run. One rule of thumb: After choosing a date, be prompt in reserving the site. After that, all other elements should fall into place.

Thinking of planning a reunion? Consult our suggested timeline and tailor it to your individual needs.

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2 Years to 18 Months Ahead*

Get family consensus to go ahead with reunion plans.

Form a committee to come up with a list of possible dates and locations.

Scout out possible sites.

Put together a mailing/phone/e-mail list.

*Note: This much time is generally required for larger reunions or for those in which family members are scattered around the globe. For smaller reunions, such as backyard barbecues, you could condense the timeline and start planning about 6 months ahead.

18 to 12 Months Ahead

Send out an initial mailing announcing the reunion and a tentative time and place. Ask family members to respond if they may be coming, so you can get a rough estimate of attendees.

Determine the budget. Arrive at a comfortable sum for the vast majority of family members.

Set a date.

12 to 9 Months Ahead

If booking a hotel, resort, or similar facility, reserve location or block of rooms.